Anjali - 'Lucky Lemons' Lemonade Stall

'I will set up a lemonade stall,' Anjali declared a couple of days ago. 'I will sell lemonade.'

Visions of Dennis and Joey and their lemonade stalls flashed through my mind. I looked on in my silent-leader mode. Any statement here may create problems. Let me see which way it goes.

'I will call Mansi and we will make lemonade and sell it outside and make money,' she said. She seems to be acutely clued in to the fact that she has to fend for herself - and that she might do a better job of it than relying on us.

'Ok,' I said getting off the wall and committing to one side. Let me say Yes for a change.

'Yeaa,' she yelled excitedly and disappeared. 

I let her chew over the idea. Obviously she will need help at some stage. I wanted to see at what stage she would involve me.

Last evening a poster appeared. Anjali had designed her first advertisement. It proudly announced the name of her stall - Lucky Lemons - which had a smiling lemon sipping a glass of lemonade casually. Very cool indeed.

Poster 

'Will you help me put up the table and chair,' she asked. 'Yes,' I said. She obviously knew who to delegate for which job. Only the physical and menial jobs for me. 

All of yesterday during our walk she constantly thought of buying lemons for her stall. Back at home she got her Mom to make the lemonade, got some ice cubes, got two separate jugs - one with iced lemonade and one without. 

Ad is up - On the gate

It was time for the table and chair. On the pavement outside?

'What about dogs?' she worried. She originally wanted it on the pavement but these days many strays go around in packs in the colony and she is aware of that. This being the first time and also because her friend was not there I suggested that she could set it inside the gate and leave the gate open.

She promptly stuck the poster on the gate. There was lemonade and some cookies on sale.

I like lemonade. More so when Anjali is selling it. So I drank up a few glasses and ate some cookies. Her ajji came and her cousin too. After she made some 130 bucks, she closed shop for the day.

Shop Closed - But don't worry, come back on Saturday

In case some customers drop in after hours and may get disappointed she wrote with a chalk on the gate. 'Closed. Come again next Saturday.' On the floor nearby the logo was drawn - lemonade with a cocky mug and a rakishly angled straw, cool and stylish. The loop was closed.

Random ads on the pavement - branding exercise

My friend Ramaraju came this morning for a walk and looked at the poster and the advertising. 'It's got everything,' he said. 'I don't think my people will make something as good.' He took pictures and told me he wanted to share it with his team.

Brisk sales to the thirsty

The idea of finding a market need. Then the product - lemonade - with and without ice. Then pricing at 10 bucks (without ice) and 15 bucks with ice. Cookies were priced at 15 bucks. The shop was called Lucky Lemons – nice, peppy and easy to remember. The logo was a lemon drinking from a mug with a straw. The deal was to get one free if you bought two. The mantra of advertising - repetition - on the poster, the floor, the wall. Of branding - using good catchy visuals with bright colours and repeating them consistently. Ok, I compromised her on the place but when she gets into the act next time she already has ideas – I will sell to those uncles who play badminton everyday. All the Ps and more.

Another ad - just the lemonade glass in blue

All angles covered. No spellos. Neat design. Good job.

Know what, I think I should make her my agent. Problem is - I don't think she will accept me as her client. She has pretty clear ideas on that.